Nathan Whitlock
@nathanwhitlock.bsky.social
Author, professor, podcaster, drummer, dad.
www.nathanwhitlock.ca/
www.nathanwhitlock.ca/
Literary mystery: who tricked David Szalay into being an award-winning author, and why can't he get out of it?
February 12, 2026 at 9:59 PM
Literary mystery: who tricked David Szalay into being an award-winning author, and why can't he get out of it?
On my podcast this week, author and journalist @michelleshephard.bsky.social talks about bruising her hip with a tambourine onstage at last November's Newzapalooza event. Here she is that night, on the far left, inflicting damage.
(Photo by Jim Rankin)
(Photo by Jim Rankin)
February 12, 2026 at 12:45 PM
On my podcast this week, author and journalist @michelleshephard.bsky.social talks about bruising her hip with a tambourine onstage at last November's Newzapalooza event. Here she is that night, on the far left, inflicting damage.
(Photo by Jim Rankin)
(Photo by Jim Rankin)
Reposted by Nathan Whitlock
Over on threads someone just use ai;dr and we all need to adopt that right quick
February 11, 2026 at 7:56 PM
Over on threads someone just use ai;dr and we all need to adopt that right quick
Reposted by Nathan Whitlock
"I thought, 'Oh, my God. How am I going to write like this guy?' We are opposite in every way. I'm this lefty Canadian agnostic. I don't even like cops."
Author and journalist @michelleshephard.bsky.social on her initial reaction to being chosen to co-write a book with former FBI agent Scott Payne.
Author and journalist @michelleshephard.bsky.social on her initial reaction to being chosen to co-write a book with former FBI agent Scott Payne.
Michelle Shephard
Podcast Episode · What Happened Next: a podcast about newish books · 02/09/2026 · 30m
podcasts.apple.com
February 10, 2026 at 10:22 PM
"I thought, 'Oh, my God. How am I going to write like this guy?' We are opposite in every way. I'm this lefty Canadian agnostic. I don't even like cops."
Author and journalist @michelleshephard.bsky.social on her initial reaction to being chosen to co-write a book with former FBI agent Scott Payne.
Author and journalist @michelleshephard.bsky.social on her initial reaction to being chosen to co-write a book with former FBI agent Scott Payne.
"I thought, 'Oh, my God. How am I going to write like this guy?' We are opposite in every way. I'm this lefty Canadian agnostic. I don't even like cops."
Author and journalist @michelleshephard.bsky.social on her initial reaction to being chosen to co-write a book with former FBI agent Scott Payne.
Author and journalist @michelleshephard.bsky.social on her initial reaction to being chosen to co-write a book with former FBI agent Scott Payne.
Michelle Shephard
Podcast Episode · What Happened Next: a podcast about newish books · 02/09/2026 · 30m
podcasts.apple.com
February 10, 2026 at 10:22 PM
"I thought, 'Oh, my God. How am I going to write like this guy?' We are opposite in every way. I'm this lefty Canadian agnostic. I don't even like cops."
Author and journalist @michelleshephard.bsky.social on her initial reaction to being chosen to co-write a book with former FBI agent Scott Payne.
Author and journalist @michelleshephard.bsky.social on her initial reaction to being chosen to co-write a book with former FBI agent Scott Payne.
Pretty sure I manifested this band while listening to YES on acid at age 17.
Oh. My. God.
Angine de Poitrine rules.
Angine de Poitrine rules.
Angine de Poitrine - Full Performance (Live on KEXP)
YouTube video by KEXP
youtu.be
February 10, 2026 at 2:49 PM
Pretty sure I manifested this band while listening to YES on acid at age 17.
Reposted by Nathan Whitlock
Macbeth: SHIT
February 9, 2026 at 2:50 AM
Macbeth: SHIT
"Amid intense speculation that Gil Scott-Heron would use 'Whitey on the Moon' to critique America's racist spending priorities and its lack support for its poorest citizens, it was perhaps no surprise that he did precisely none of those things."
Bad Bunny's style has always defied expectations. So, amid intense speculation that he would use his Super Bowl outfit to subvert masculine stereotypes, stage a protest or publicly lambast ICE (again), it was perhaps no surprise that he did precisely none of those things. https://cnn.it/4kv3OY6
February 9, 2026 at 1:48 PM
"Amid intense speculation that Gil Scott-Heron would use 'Whitey on the Moon' to critique America's racist spending priorities and its lack support for its poorest citizens, it was perhaps no surprise that he did precisely none of those things."
Spoiler for tomorrow’s episode.
WHAT HAPPENED NEXT is presented by @thewalrus.ca
Find it at all the podcast places.
thewalrus.ca/podcasts/wha...
WHAT HAPPENED NEXT is presented by @thewalrus.ca
Find it at all the podcast places.
thewalrus.ca/podcasts/wha...
February 8, 2026 at 2:38 PM
Spoiler for tomorrow’s episode.
WHAT HAPPENED NEXT is presented by @thewalrus.ca
Find it at all the podcast places.
thewalrus.ca/podcasts/wha...
WHAT HAPPENED NEXT is presented by @thewalrus.ca
Find it at all the podcast places.
thewalrus.ca/podcasts/wha...
We did this last week. This past week it was WAITING FOR GUFFMAN.
My 11-year-old now believes I have a crush on Catherine O'Hara.
And um...
My 11-year-old now believes I have a crush on Catherine O'Hara.
And um...
BONUS
For this week's #ThursdayFilmRec 🗃️🎥🍿🎬 #HATM
Watch or (Rewatch) the hilarious mockumentary "A Mighty Wind" (2003) - Dir. Christopher Guest.
Available on Netflix
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujUe...
For this week's #ThursdayFilmRec 🗃️🎥🍿🎬 #HATM
Watch or (Rewatch) the hilarious mockumentary "A Mighty Wind" (2003) - Dir. Christopher Guest.
Available on Netflix
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujUe...
A Mighty Wind Official Trailer #1 (2003) - Christopher Guest Movie HD
YouTube video by Rotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers
www.youtube.com
February 8, 2026 at 2:24 PM
We did this last week. This past week it was WAITING FOR GUFFMAN.
My 11-year-old now believes I have a crush on Catherine O'Hara.
And um...
My 11-year-old now believes I have a crush on Catherine O'Hara.
And um...
Reposted by Nathan Whitlock
Fun to see my podcast* interview with Rachel Reid get a shout-out in the Toronto Star story about the ongoing total cultural domination of HEATED RIVALRY.
*sporting a slightly altered title...
*sporting a slightly altered title...
February 6, 2026 at 8:37 PM
Fun to see my podcast* interview with Rachel Reid get a shout-out in the Toronto Star story about the ongoing total cultural domination of HEATED RIVALRY.
*sporting a slightly altered title...
*sporting a slightly altered title...
Reposted by Nathan Whitlock
the Spectator accidentally recycled a subhed from a previous day’s article about Tehran
February 6, 2026 at 6:07 PM
the Spectator accidentally recycled a subhed from a previous day’s article about Tehran
Reposted by Nathan Whitlock
One of my favourite tracks off that album by J Dilla is the very timely ‘Anti American Graffiti’ .
I still think ‘Donuts’ should go down as one of the greatest aural experiments of the early 21st century.
youtu.be/EZ3ronLw3ec
I still think ‘Donuts’ should go down as one of the greatest aural experiments of the early 21st century.
youtu.be/EZ3ronLw3ec
Anti-American Graffiti
YouTube video by J Dilla - Topic
youtu.be
February 7, 2026 at 3:55 PM
One of my favourite tracks off that album by J Dilla is the very timely ‘Anti American Graffiti’ .
I still think ‘Donuts’ should go down as one of the greatest aural experiments of the early 21st century.
youtu.be/EZ3ronLw3ec
I still think ‘Donuts’ should go down as one of the greatest aural experiments of the early 21st century.
youtu.be/EZ3ronLw3ec
"Leave Dad alone – he's watching his programs."
February 7, 2026 at 3:43 PM
"Leave Dad alone – he's watching his programs."
Fun to see my podcast* interview with Rachel Reid get a shout-out in the Toronto Star story about the ongoing total cultural domination of HEATED RIVALRY.
*sporting a slightly altered title...
*sporting a slightly altered title...
February 6, 2026 at 8:37 PM
Fun to see my podcast* interview with Rachel Reid get a shout-out in the Toronto Star story about the ongoing total cultural domination of HEATED RIVALRY.
*sporting a slightly altered title...
*sporting a slightly altered title...
Author who interviews authors interviewed by author who interviews authors.
Antonio Michael Downing is the author of the memoir Saga Boy the children’s book Stars in My Crown, and the novel Black Cherokee, and is the current host of CBC Radio’s The Next Chapter.
Listen:
Antonio Michael Downing is the author of the memoir Saga Boy the children’s book Stars in My Crown, and the novel Black Cherokee, and is the current host of CBC Radio’s The Next Chapter.
Listen:
Antonio Michael Downing
Podcast Episode · What Happened Next: a podcast about newish books · 02/02/2026 · 27m
podcasts.apple.com
February 6, 2026 at 2:30 PM
Author who interviews authors interviewed by author who interviews authors.
Antonio Michael Downing is the author of the memoir Saga Boy the children’s book Stars in My Crown, and the novel Black Cherokee, and is the current host of CBC Radio’s The Next Chapter.
Listen:
Antonio Michael Downing is the author of the memoir Saga Boy the children’s book Stars in My Crown, and the novel Black Cherokee, and is the current host of CBC Radio’s The Next Chapter.
Listen:
All 5 of mine have singers who look like this:
February 4, 2026 at 12:53 PM
All 5 of mine have singers who look like this:
It's cold out again. So listen to this.
VERCKYS & ORCHESTRE VÉVÉ - Bassala Hot
YouTube video by AnalogAfrica
youtu.be
February 4, 2026 at 12:44 PM
It's cold out again. So listen to this.
WhatsApp offering to have its in-built AI interpret my wife's messages to me is a bad joke, both in the sense of it being something a hacky comedian would riff on for 5 minutes, but also in the sense that "See you soon, love you" would require bleeding-edge tech to suss out the meaning of.
February 3, 2026 at 11:24 PM
WhatsApp offering to have its in-built AI interpret my wife's messages to me is a bad joke, both in the sense of it being something a hacky comedian would riff on for 5 minutes, but also in the sense that "See you soon, love you" would require bleeding-edge tech to suss out the meaning of.
The reason I don't engage with Louis CK stuff anymore is NOT because I suddenly discovered in late 2017 that he was never funny in the first place.
one thing that would be cool, when prominent creators turn out to be terrible people, would be if we didn't have to go through this performative dance of insisting that their work was never good in the first place.
February 3, 2026 at 6:06 PM
The reason I don't engage with Louis CK stuff anymore is NOT because I suddenly discovered in late 2017 that he was never funny in the first place.
Reposted by Nathan Whitlock
January episodes - all great conversations. Never the usual book talk.
Please subscribe, listen, and review.
WHAT HAPPENED NEXT is presented by @thewalrus.ca
thewalrus.ca/podcasts/wha...
Please subscribe, listen, and review.
WHAT HAPPENED NEXT is presented by @thewalrus.ca
thewalrus.ca/podcasts/wha...
February 1, 2026 at 5:07 PM
January episodes - all great conversations. Never the usual book talk.
Please subscribe, listen, and review.
WHAT HAPPENED NEXT is presented by @thewalrus.ca
thewalrus.ca/podcasts/wha...
Please subscribe, listen, and review.
WHAT HAPPENED NEXT is presented by @thewalrus.ca
thewalrus.ca/podcasts/wha...
January episodes - all great conversations. Never the usual book talk.
Please subscribe, listen, and review.
WHAT HAPPENED NEXT is presented by @thewalrus.ca
thewalrus.ca/podcasts/wha...
Please subscribe, listen, and review.
WHAT HAPPENED NEXT is presented by @thewalrus.ca
thewalrus.ca/podcasts/wha...
February 1, 2026 at 5:07 PM
January episodes - all great conversations. Never the usual book talk.
Please subscribe, listen, and review.
WHAT HAPPENED NEXT is presented by @thewalrus.ca
thewalrus.ca/podcasts/wha...
Please subscribe, listen, and review.
WHAT HAPPENED NEXT is presented by @thewalrus.ca
thewalrus.ca/podcasts/wha...
Among its many other strengths, the opening theme music for BLUE LIGHTS lasts all of about 3.5 seconds. Very much in keeping with the "lets get down to business" feel of the show.
(Though it does make you think you're in for something a little more narratively hi-octane.)
(Though it does make you think you're in for something a little more narratively hi-octane.)
Blue Lights opening titles
YouTube video by The Morrison Studio
youtu.be
January 31, 2026 at 9:16 PM
Among its many other strengths, the opening theme music for BLUE LIGHTS lasts all of about 3.5 seconds. Very much in keeping with the "lets get down to business" feel of the show.
(Though it does make you think you're in for something a little more narratively hi-octane.)
(Though it does make you think you're in for something a little more narratively hi-octane.)
Reposted by Nathan Whitlock
When you look at the Wikipedia of an old white guy whose books you read in college there is an unfortunately high probability it will look like this
January 31, 2026 at 4:53 PM
When you look at the Wikipedia of an old white guy whose books you read in college there is an unfortunately high probability it will look like this